The invention generally relates to a two-wheel battery-powered vehicle comprising a platform, two wheels connected to the platform, a battery-powered wheel drive driving the two wheels, an attachment connected to the platform, a sensor device arranged in the platform, wherein a person standing on the platform and engaging the attachment moves the platform into an angle position corresponding to a body position of the person, wherein, based on the angle position of the platform relative to a horizontal position, the sensor device controls the wheel drive such that the wheel drive, by acceleration or deceleration, keeps the vehicle and the person standing on the platform in a balanced position.
Such a vehicle is in use and known under the name “Segway®”. The platform of this known vehicle comprises a flat box in which the battery, the sensors, and the control equipment are arranged. The standing surface is positioned at the comfortable height of a usual stair step. The person steps from the rear onto the platform and reaches for two handles that, similar to a bicycle handlebar, are arranged on a column arranged on the platform. In one embodiment of the vehicle, one side of the handlebar contains a rotary handle with which the control right/left steering is achieved. In another, right/left steering is achieved by leaning the entire handlebar to right and left. Speed control is achieved by a special type of balance control: The more the person and the column supporting the handles leans forward, the faster the vehicle moves forward. When leaning to the rear, the vehicle moves backwards, or decelerates. When the vehicle stands still and the person is not moving, the balance is maintained by acceleration and counter acceleration in which the vehicle moves continuously back and forth within small fractions of a second.
The “Segway®” vehicle is subject to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,701,965; 5,971,091; 6,302,230; 6,367,817; 6,408,240; 6,561,294; 6,575,539; 6,581,714; 6,598,941; 6,651,766; 6,779,621; 6,789,640; 6,796396; 6,799,649; 6,815,919; and 6,827,163 which are incorporated herein by reference. While the “Segway®” vehicle provided simple transportation, controlling such a vehicle while carrying objects, especially while operating a camera, is not well supported.
EP 1695896 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,303,132 describe a further development of the two-wheel battery-powered vehicle. Instead of the handles of the “Segway®” vehicle, an attachment that has a leg support device for at least one leg of the person standing on the platform for keeping the platform at a desired angle position is connected to the platform. To drive the vehicle, the person standing on the platform leans his body forwards or backwards, thereby engaging the attachment and inclining the platform. Based on the angle of inclination of the platform, the sensor device controls the wheel drive such that, by acceleration or deceleration, the vehicle and the person standing on it are kept in a balanced position. A right/left control equipment providing foot pedals controls turning of the vehicle in a traveling direction by driving the wheels at different speeds. The vehicle requires that the person leans, tilts or otherwise compromises the body in order to maneuver the transport.
Furthermore the above mentioned patents disclose a bow-shaped support, which is provided for an object to be carried on the vehicle; the support is arranged to be pivotable to the front and to the rear of the vehicle, preferably on or near the wheel axle, and can be connected to the body, preferably by a bracket laterally engaging the body. The support that extends approximately to the waist of the person is provided as a hard mount of a camera.
While the developments disclosed in EP 1695896 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,303,132 improve the possibilities to use the two-wheel battery-powered vehicle, several shortfalls when operating remain. For example, the vehicle shows a leg-saddle comprising two concave control shells placed between a user's legs at a height above the knees. With this vehicle braking requires a person to incline the body rearwards from above the knees, in particular from above the hips, which leads to unnatural body positions.
Furthermore the vehicle is vulnerable to accidents and mishaps. A common accident occurs when one or both wheels of the vehicle run into an object too high for the vehicle to negotiate, e.g. a wall, kerb, leg, or any other obstacle. This often results in the vehicle attempting to climb the object, thus throwing the person off the machine, and causing the vehicle to perform an emergency shut down, whereby it looses power and falls over. A person that does not carry or operate any equipment may be injured, but a person who does may also be forced to abandon the equipment, causing damage to it or to people or objects in the vicinity.